Illustrations by Ben Engle
Traveling around California I have found many fantastic places to eat. And then they sell, or the folks retire, and another family member takes over. Sometimes the food gets better, and often, it gets worse. With that being said, I am adding a new rule to my Foraging Angler reviews. Rule 1 is that it must be a mom-and-pop establishment. Rule 2 is that I must eat there at least three times or have eaten there once with multiple family members or friends who have shared their experiences.
This edition of the Foraging Angler is for Truckee, CA. I know Richard Anderson, the founder of this tremendous fly-fishing magazine, lives there, and for four decades this magazine was mailed from Truckee. I have never done a column on Truckee, but there are some great places to eat there. Here are my top picks.
FRONT STREET PIZZA STATION – $$
11782 DONNER PASS ROAD
TRUCKEE
530-536-5035
Open: Monday–Saturday from 11:30 a.m.– 8:00 p.m.
A couple of years ago, I travelled from Almanor to Truckee to meet my brother-in-law. His friend recently remodeled a home in Truckee, and they had a wood stove they wanted to get rid of. I told Marte I would love to have it so Ruger and I set of. We traveled down Highway 89 through Graeagle. When I got to Truckee, I was hungry. Marte was coming from the Bay Area and was running late due to traffic. I hunted around and found this tiny little pizza joint.
They had an outside order window and plenty of shade in the parking lot for Ruger. I ordered a slice of pizza, ate it, and ordered another one. While waiting for Marte, I ordered five slices, eating three and packing two to take back to Almanor.
My first slice was the standard combo—pepperoni, sausage, salami, mushrooms, onion, green bell peppers, and black olives. I asked if I could get the slice without green onions. I love green onions; they don’t love me. The young lady at the counter said, “Sure,” and within 10 minutes I had my slice. I devoured it. Then I ordered the Californian—artichoke, garlic, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was even better than the combo. Next, I had the veggie medley— mushrooms, onion, green bell pepper, black olives, and tomatoes. I picked the green bell peppers off. It was great. The two slices I took back to Almanor were the combo they made special for me, no green onions.
Since then I have been back multiple times, enjoying their pizza slices and exploring other items on the menu. The Al Pastor burrito is a masterpiece. I have tried to duplicate it at home and have come close, but theirs is still one of the best Al Pastors I have ever had.
The owners, Kurt and Mary Ellen, continue to make great food at a reasonable price. Their staff is friendly and helpful, and they always have a smile on their faces.
EASTSIDE DELI & MARKET – $
10068 HIRSCHDALE ROAD
TRUCKEE
530-582-4343
Summer Hours (May-November)
Open: Monday–Sunday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Winter Hours (September-April)
Open: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Delis are my second favorite place, right behind burger joints. The deli has been bred in me since I was a kid when my dad delivered lunchmeats to them for over twenty years. Every time I walk into a deli, I study the menu. Some delis are old-school, and others are want-to-be delis. The old-school delis still have head cheese, Braun Schweiger, and liverwurst in their cases. Great stuff!
The Eastside Deli does their hot pastrami the old-school way. They call it the Pastraminis. It’s a bunch of good stuff in a hot, warm-you-to-your-bones sandwich. The Pastraminis is a large portion of pastrami with onions grilled to perfection. It is served on fresh rye bread with provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato and topped with the deli’s homemade Russian dressing and chipotle mayonnaise. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. This sandwich would make a cardiologist perform an angioplasty on you immediately. I order this sandwich with extra Russian dressing. I like this sandwich when it is a bit nippy outside. Super good!
When Kirsten and I were in the Truckee area recently, it was warm, so we headed to the deli for a sandwich. I got The Angler. This sandwich has all the cold stuff but all the good stuff. It combines turkey and bacon with cheddar cheese on a white hoagie roll and is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, and balsamic vinegar. I ordered it with their chipotle mayonnaise and added avocado.
Kirsten’s favorite is the Roast Master. She has said several times that it is the best roast beef sandwich. The sandwich is a generous portion of rare roast beef with American cheese on a wheat hoagie roll topped with homemade creamy horseradish sauce, Russian dressing, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Kirsten always adds peppers to her sandwich.
CASA BAEZA – $$
10010 BRIDGE STREET
TRUCKEE
530-587-2161
Open: Monday–Sunday, 11:00 a..m-10:00 p.m.
About five or six years ago, when Frank Pisciotta and Jon Baiocchi were still alive, Frank and the Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers invited me to present at their club. I drove up to Truckee from Willows and joined Frank and Jon at Frank’s house. I must admit I had a great time. We talked about fly fishing, tying, and just the regular day-to-day guide bullshit sessions.
Frank wanted me to tie flies before the meeting, but he didn’t tell me until I arrived. I also found out that Frank was not much of a fly tyer, which surprised me. He told me that the only fly he ties is the San Juan Worm. We headed to Mountain Hardware in Truckee, and I bought fly-tying materials to tie my Lance’s X-May for the club. I used Frank’s tying equipment, and the tying portion of the presentation went off without a hitch.
After the meeting, Frank and Jon took me to dinner at Casa Baeza. When we sat down, Frank told me that he knew the owners and that they made great Mexican food. I looked over the menu and ordered Chile Colorado. Chile Colorado is a famous Mexican stew that includes tender beef simmered in a bold, flavorful red chili sauce made from dried Mexican chiles, broth, and spices. Casa Beaza’s Chile Colorado was made from green hatch chiles and was spectacular. They serve it with fresh salsa and corn tortillas. It goes well with a nice cold margarita shaken on ice.
Since that epic night, Kirsten and I have been back many times. I still order the Chile Colorado. Kirsten has found her favorite, too. She loves the Two Taco Plate. She orders the chicken tacos. She likes them because they are the perfect size. If she’s not that hungry, she gets to take one home; if she’s starving, she eats both. She gets them loaded with all the veggies and matches them with an ice-cold iced tea with extra ice.
Cesar and Miguel Baeza are now the owners and day-to-day operators, but they haven’t changed anything. This Mexican joint is one of my favorites.
MOODY’S BISTRO BAR & BEATS – $$
10007 BRIDGE STREET
TRUCKEE
530-587-8688
Open: Monday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–3:00 pm., 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Moody’s is, in a word, fantastic. A couple of years ago, Kirsten and I were returning home from Reno and we were looking to have a nice, sit-down dinner after a Reba McIntyre concert. Usually while we’re in Reno we like to have a charming sit-down dinner but on this trip, we never made that happen. Instead, we went to Kirsten’s family house for dinner. They had just recently relocated to the Reno area from Washington State. As we headed home, Kirsten was driving, and I was looking for a place to eat. I found Moody’s.
We entered the restaurant. Live jazz played, and folks enjoyed the music and food. The hostess apologized that she had no tables available. She told us we could sit at the bar and order dinner there so that is what we did. There was just enough room at the end of the wooden bar, and we sat and had a great meal. It was not as fancy as dinner in their main dining room, but it was great.
The couple sitting next to us was just finishing their dinner. I asked them what they would recommend and the lady said, “Everything.” Her husband recommended the oxtail. I have had oxtail at different Gulf Coast joints but never in the mountains. I ordered it. Kirsten ordered the Mary’s Panchetta-Wrapped Chicken. We ordered an appetizer of dungeness crab and drinks from the bar and waited for the feast.
My Smoked Oxtail Mafaldine was awesome. It was the perfect blend of spices, fresh vegetables, garlic, and oxtail chunks cooked to perfection and served over a tender mafaldine pasta. It was rich and creamy, and it filled me up. Kirsten’s chicken was great; I got the leftovers. It was perfectly cooked—with artichokes, morel mushrooms, and a green garlic puree drizzled over. The last time we were at Moody’s, I ordered that. It was great again.
